By Any Means Necessary
by Amethyst Bubble
Summary: (AU,s-ai) Once, there was a cruel king who decreed that on the day he died, one person from every family would die with him. Now, the loved ones of those doomed people must band together to save them while the doomed themselves plan a daring escape.
1. Act 1

A/N: Scarily enough, my mother gave me this idea. Not directly, of course, but she told me something and that spawned this nice little AU. ::Cackles::

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem. But that doesn't mean I can't take the characters and/or storyline and twist them to my liking. As long as I'm not profiting off of it, it's all good.

WARNINGS: Shonen ai and shojo ai (maybe het, haven't decided), violence (nothing graphic), slight language. Nothing that should bother anyone too much if you're not extremely sensitive about any of the above.

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Once upon a time, in a fair little country far, far away, there lived a king. In the beginning, he was a good king. He was kind to all and his subjects loved him. But then, as he aged, he started to indulge in the dark arts.

They drove him past the edge of sanity.

He murdered his wife and children. But because he was a king, no one could do anything about these cold blooded killings. His word was the law, and the law was his word.

The king became cruel and oppressive to everyone. The love his subjects once had for him dissolved into hatred. Bitter hatred. They hated him more then anything.

As he grew older and older, the king began to get weaker, as the elderly tend to do. In his weakened state, he fell ill. Not even the knowledge that had cost him his sanity could cure him.

The king knew he didn't have much longer. He also knew that everyone hated him. He couldn't stand the idea of people celebrating his death. He was determined that not one person would celebrate when he lay still in his grave. He thought long and hard about how to make that happen.

Finally, he came up with a solution. It was a cruel plan, but he was a cruel man. With a malicious grin, he gave the soldiers their orders.

One person from every family would be arrested, and when he died, so would they.

Everyone would cry the day he died. If not for him, then for their loved ones.

----------------

Once upon a time, in the same kingdom the evil king ruled over, there lived a happy little

family of three. Two were siblings. Their parents had died years ago, murdered by the soldiers of another kingdom. The eldest child had hungered for revenge for many years, but slowly his fiery rage was soothed by the pretty blonde orphan that his parents had adopted when they were still alive.

So now they lived together, the son, the pretty blonde, and the gentle daughter. They were very happy together. The eldest son had taken the pretty blonde as his lover, and the gentle daughter, while jealous that the pretty blonde had taken away some of her brother's attention, eventually gave them her blessings. All was peaceful.

Until the day the king gave his orders.

The soldiers took arrested the son, informing the pretty blonde and the gentle daughter that when the king died, so did their loved one.

They both watched them take him away into the night through a veil of tears.

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"Lady Priscilla, please stop this!" Lucius begged as he bandaged her burned hand.

Priscilla was literally shaking. She was shaking so much that the fire tome in her lap slipped, landing with a 'thump' on the ground. "Lucius," She ran her fingers over the bandages that covered her hand and arm. "He's going to be killed. Any day now. I won't let that happen." When she raised her face, he saw that her eyes burned with the same fire her brother's had when he spoke of his revenge. "I won't let that happen." She repeated in a haunted voice.

Drawing her into his arms, he rocked back and forth slowly, "I know, Lady Priscilla, I know." His blue eyes filled with tears at the mere thought of his beloved Raymond, but he blinked them back. He couldn't be weak now. Not until they had Raymond back with them, safe and sound, could he afford to be weak.

"I have to learn this!" She pulled out of his embrace, snatching the fire tome from where it had fallen to the floor. "Without this, I'm useless! Merely a healer. What can healing do to save my brother?" Flipping open the book, she scanned the letters of an ancient language, tracing word after word with her index finger.

"Priscilla," Lucius dropped the honorifics for once. "Priscilla, we…" He was about to say that they had time, but that would be a lie. They did not have time. Any minute now, the bells could sound, calling them all to the square for the public execution of so many innocents. "Priscilla, please be careful…You mustn't burn yourself again…"

She nodded to him almost absentmindedly, completely immersed in her spell book.

He got up, walking over to the book shelf that lined one wall of the main room of their small house. Even though there was one less person inhabiting it now, it seemed even smaller then it had when Raymond was living there with them. Lucius missed him so.

Brushing those thoughts aside, telling himself he must concentrate on the task at hand, he ran his fingertips over the spines of the books, some so old they were falling apart at the seams. Finally, he plucked one from the bookshelf.

"Aura," He whispered to himself as he traced the symbol on its cover. It was of the utmost importance that he learn this spell. It was the strongest magic he could find, and he intended to master it. Even if it harmed him to do so, he would. It was the only way to save Raymond, after all. For Raymond, Lucius would have done anything.

A knock came just as Lucius was about to open the book and examine the pages within. Glancing over at Priscilla, he noted with concern that it was as if she had not heard the knock at all. She was completely lost in the pages of her fire tome.

Slipping away from the bookshelf, Lucius walked over to the door. He pulled it open very carefully, wary of possible danger behind it.

Possible danger was not who had come knocking. Standing in the threshold was a teenager with long, braided dark green hair and blue eyes.

"Guy," Lucius addressed him, giving him a half hearted smile and opening the door a bit wider to allow the other entrance. Guy stepped into the house, shifting his weight from one foot to the other nervously as Lucius shut and locked the door. "How are things? Would you like some tea?" The blonde inquired.

"Yeah, if it's not too much trouble," Guy grinned at the thought of the hot liquid.

Laughing lightly, Lucius shook his head, "No trouble at all." Motioning for Guy to follow him, Lucius headed into the kitchen. The dark haired boy eagerly followed him, glancing at Priscilla as they passed her.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked in a hushed whisper as Priscilla continued to chant words of a foreign tongue in an emotionless, empty voice.

Lucius bit his lip, filling the kettle with water and setting it on the stove, "Having Lord Raymond taken away was very devastating for her. She…she's not well," _We need you_, Lucius conjured an image of Raymond in his mind. Sighing, Lucius turned his attention back to Guy, "You haven't eaten, have you?"

Guy shook his head, "Matthew had been bringing us food…" He leaned against the wall. "But he's been taken away, and m-mother has too," He was beginning to get choked and his stutter was back. "And it's not l-like we had m-money in the first place, that's w-why M-Matthew had to bring us f-food a-and…" He inhaled sharply, closing his blue eyes.

Lucius laid a hand on his arm, "Hush." He murmured soothingly, leading Guy to one of the rickety chairs surrounding the wooden table in the middle of the kitchen, "Sit. I'll get you something to eat."

Guy obeyed and before long, Lucius has set some bread, cheese, and a steaming cup of tea in front of him.

After giving the younger man a moment to calm down, Lucius spoke, "The king…" He started and then stopped abruptly, as if thinking of a way to rephrase his thoughts. "Is he…" He stopped again, chewing on his lip nervously.

Guy understood what he had meant, anyway. It was not as if there was much else to inquire about. Chewing on the mouthful of bread he had bit off, he swallowed, and then spoke, "N-no. From what I've heard, he's not doing any better. If anything, he's getting worse. The speculation is that he has a week or two at the most," Guy picked up the tea cup and held it in his hands, as if absorbing the warmth.

Lucius looked disappointed, although he reminded himself that he really should not be. He couldn't have hope that the king would make a remarkable recovery and release all those he had taken captive. It just wasn't reasonable to do so. The king was dying, and in turn, so were the people he had elected to die along with him. Along with him, so was Raymond.

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It was dark and dank and horrible. It was dark because no natural light flowed into the room, seeing as it was underground, the lowest floor of the castle. Windows were pointless so far down. The only light was that of a torch that burned low, ready to flicker out at the slightest hint of a breeze. It was dank because that's how these prisons usually were. It was almost absurd for a prison not to be dank.

It was horrible because it simply was. At least a dozen people were crammed into each cell. He didn't know. He hadn't bothered to count.

Heath cringed as that ill man in the corner started coughing again. A wet, endless, hacking cough. He couldn't stand that sound. He wanted to get out so very badly. Pulling his knees up to his chest, he shut his eyes tightly, trying to pretend that he was not here. Anywhere but here, anywhere at all. He would rather be dead.

Well, that's where he was going to be in anywhere from a few minutes to a few days, he thought bitterly.

Aside from it being dark, dank and horrible, it was cold. Freezing cold. The weather was hot outside, but down here the sunlight could not warm the stone walls. Heath flexed his fingers, finding them stiff from the bitter cold. With a determination to keep from freezing, Heath began rubbing his hands up and down his forearms.

"Here." Something was thrust in his face. A long, purple cloak.

Looking up, he saw the hand holding the cloak belonged to a tall man with long lavender hair kept away from his face by a bandanna. The man wore a half smirk as he looked down at Heath, "Come on, take it. You're obviously cold."

Heath hesitated, a little thrown off by the kindness of this complete stranger. "Don't you need it?" He asked.

The man shrugged, "Not as much as you probably do." Deciding that Heath was taking too long, he draped it around Heath's shoulders himself.

"...Thank you," Heath muttered as he fingered the material, pulling it closer around him. He was much warmer with this. Sending a sideways glance at the man, he asked, "Who are you?"

Someone else answered that question for him, "Legault!" A voice called from across the cell and a man with sandy hair trotted up to them, "So, you got captured too, eh?"

"As did you, Matthew," The man, Legault, replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Heath wondered incredulously how he could be so calm about it.

Matthew grimaced, "Unfortunately." He said shortly, fiddling with one of the buckles that adorned his crimson colored cloak.

"What about Guy?" Legault asked, brushing a few locks of his hair behind his ear.

Heath glanced from one man to the other. From their conversation, he could judge that they knew each other and were probably on friendly terms. Then again, he bet almost everyone knew someone else in here. One person from every family had been taken. The odds that you knew someone else in these dismal cells was more then likely.

Matthew shook his head, "No. Guy's not here, thank Elimine. However," Matthew nodded towards the corner he'd come from, "His mother is."

"Poor kid," Legault commented. "Without you or her, he'll probably starve."

Matthew grimaced, "Don't remind me." He muttered, "I'm worried enough about him as it is." There was worry and concern in his amber eyes, as he scuffed the stone floor with the toe of his boot restlessly.

"I'm sure," Legault said with what could have been a hint of sympathy in his voice.

For a few minutes, they just quietly stared at each other, as if communicating in some secret, silent language.

Then Matthew spoke up again, looking rather frustrated, "If only…" He trailed off with an annoyed sigh, raking his fingers through his hair.

Legault nodded, "It's a shame, really." He said, understanding what Matthew meant without the other even finishing his sentence.

Silence reigned for a few more moments, giving Heath time to wonder what exactly it was that Matthew had been talking about when he said 'if only'.

Finally, Matthew turned on his heel, marching back off to the corner from which he'd come, "I can't just stand here. I'm going to go see who else is in this miserable place with us." He said over his shoulder.

Legault nodded to no one in particular before turning back to Heath, answering a question the other had not asked, "He's an acquaintance of mine."

Heath nodded silently. Then, words left his lips, "I can't believe this. It's like some sort of nightmare." The minute he had spoken, he regretted it. He sounded like some sort of child, seeking comfort.

"Mm," Legault nodded. "It is a bit hard to believe, really, that these are our last days." He smiled at Heath, "And that we're spending them in a prison cell. If they're going to have us executed, you'd think they'd at least give us some decent rooms and food. Let us live out our last days in happiness, you know?" He joked, winking.

Heath scowled, "How the hell can you be so calm?" He demanded. In the corner, he could hear children and women crying. A few individuals were muttering to themselves and that ill man had continued to cough through it all, a woman kneeling besides him, rubbing his back comfortingly. He himself was scared, so very scared of what lay ahead. And this man could joke about it? How could he be so calm? Was he glad to die?

Legault shrugged, "Worrying about what's coming isn't going to help me, is it? I'm not happy about this, of course not. But…As it is, there's nothing I can do." He fingered the side of his belt for a second, and something dark flashed across his face, but as quickly as it was there, it was gone, and that half-smile, half-smirk was back on his lips.

Heath couldn't help thinking there was something more here that he didn't know.

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"Limstella…" Nergal croaked, reaching out and stroking the curly dark hair of his creation, "Limstella, my dearest, have they carried out my orders?"

The figure kneeling by his bedside nodded, leaning into his touch the same way a cat would lean into the hand that was petting it, "Yes, master."

A smile formed on the painted red lips of the woman kneeling on the opposite side of his bed, "One person from every family, master. More from the larger families." She spoke in a hushed voice.

"Good, good…" Nergal cackled. But his laughter quickly dissolved into a fit of coughing. Limstella lifted the glass of water from the nightstand and held it to his lips. Nergal drank from it and slowly his coughing stopped. Limstella placed the glass back down on the nightstand.

"Where is Ephidel?" Nergal asked after a moment.

"He is making sure that the soldiers missed no one, master," Limstella said, her(1) golden eyes fixed upon her master's sunken face.

"Thank you, my perfection," He stroked her cheek, smiling a soft, crooked sort of smile.

Sonia's blood boiled. Was _she _not perfection? _She _could serve him, had served him, so much better then that little puppet could. She was better then Limstella! Didn't the master know that?

"Sonia, you may go," He said to her, his voice cracking. "Limstella…stay with me a moment longer." Limstella nodded silently, gazing down at her master with those expressionless golden eyes.

Sonia did as she was told, rising to her feet in one graceful motion. She swept out of the room, giving her master one last bow and Limstella one last glare. She closed the door to Nergal's chambers, leaning heavily against the door. Only then did she let a snarl escape her throat as the smile disappeared from her painted lips. "That worthless puppet!" She cursed, knowing that she could not be heard through the heavy door. "That useless, empty shell!" She cursed Limstella over and over. She could serve the master so much better then that emotionless doll! She didn't give a damn about him! But Sonia did. Sonia could care for the master in his final days. Her company was surely better then Limstella's. She was so much better the Limstella.

"Mother, mother!" Sonia felt someone tug on her skirt.

"Nino," She said coldly, tugging her skirt out of the girl's hands. She did not have time for this. Nino could not have picked another time to bother her?

"Mother, who were all those people? The ones who were brought to the dungeons earlier?" The inquisitive girl asked, staring up at Sonia with wide blue eyes.

Sonia stiffened, "How do you know about that?" She started walking down the hall without a destination in mind, her heels making clicking sounds on the hard marble floors.

Nino followed her without a second thought, trying to keep up with the woman's long strides, "I was in the dungeons earlier," She paused for a moment, expecting to be scolded for going down there. Sonia said nothing. Looking disappointed, Nino continued, "And while I was down there, I heard footsteps. Lots of them! It was like a whole army! But I didn't want to get caught down there, because I'm really not supposed to go there, am I?" Again, she paused, waiting for some response. Again, she got none. She went on with her account of the event all the same, "Anyway, I hid in some shadows, and I saw some soldiers bringing all these people in! Did they commit crimes, mother?"

"No, they did not commit crimes." She said shortly before she turned a corner sharply, trying to loose the small girl. Nino followed right after her.

"But then why are they down there, mother?" She asked, trying desperately to keep up with Sonia. Why couldn't her mother slow down and wait for her? Just this once?

Sonia stopped abruptly, placing a hand on the doorknob of the library, "It is King Nergal's wish for them to be there, Nino." She said coldly, glaring at the green-haired girl. "Now, be gone! Bother some one else for a while!" She opened the door, stepped inside, and closed it with a snap behind her.

Nino stared at the closed door for a moment, her normally smiling face formed a look of sadness instead.

"If you wish, mother," She said, although Sonia could not hear her. She turned, glancing at the library door over her shoulder, as if Sonia might suddenly appear, open her arms wide and tell Nino that she way sorry, that she was never a bother. Nino sighed, knowing that it was false hope, that it just wasn't going to happen.

She was curious about the people that had been brought down to the dungeon, though. Why were there so many of them? Had they been involved in some kind of rally or rebellion? She couldn't believe that. Many of them could not be very much older then her, even more looked like house wives, and there were even children smaller then her. How could those people, who looked so very innocent, have done something so bad that it landed them in jail? And what had her mother meant when she said it was the king's wish?

Quickly winding through hallways it had taken her months to memorize, she decided to seek out someone who might tell her just what was going on. Her brothers would know what was going on. Hopefully, they would answer her questions.

---------------------

"How long will we have?" Guy asked, locking his eyes with Lucius'.

Lucius sighed, "About an hour. After he dies and they ring the bells signifying that he is, in fact, dead, they're going to round all of the captives up and then have a public execution in front of the palace gates. There are a lot of captives, so it's going to take them a good twenty minutes or so to get them all together. That is, if they're cooperative. These are people who are doomed anyway, what reason do they have not to fight back?"

Guy nodded, "That does make sense…"

"Yes. I can only hope the captives have enough sense to try and resist. If they can over power the guards…" Lucius stopped and sighed, "But they have no weapons."

"But there are a lot of them!" Guy put in, looking hopeful, "Maybe they can do it without weapons? Do you think they can, Lucius?"

He looked so hopeful that Lucius hated to say what he was about to, "Guy…They have no weapons…" He said. His words caused the dark haired boy slumped back in his seat.

"I-I know…but still…." He propped his chin up on his palms.

Lucius gazed at him sympathetically, "You want to save Matthew and your mother, I know." He took a sip of his own, now cold, tea. "Our advantage is that the execution is public. We will have to act fast, while they are reading the names of the deceased." Lucius had pieced together an account of what would happen from the only public execution he'd ever seen before. The king had issued a decree shortly after he had gone insane, making it so that all executions be public ones that everyone had to attend. The only one Lucius had seen had made him sick to his stomach, and after that, Raymond had ordered that Lucius never see one again, no matter what the king decreed.

"Will we be enough?" Guy asked suddenly, "I mean, you are very skilled with light magic, Lucius, and Priscilla seemed to be improving with her magic, and I'm getting better and better with the sword, but…" He fiddled with the end of his braid, "Their soldiers are highly trained."

"It's not just us," Lucius put in quickly. "We have two talented sky riders with us now."

"Sky riders?" Guy repeated, leaning forward intently.

"Two Pegasus Knights," Lucius clarified. "Their sister was taken from them."

"Everyone's had someone taken from them," Guy said, sighing. "If they're lucky, it's only one person." He looked down at the table, his long bangs overshadowing his eyes, presumably to hide tears.

"Guy," Lucius said softly, placing his hand over the younger man's. "Guy, we will get them back."

A harsh intake of breath, "How can y-you be so sure?" Lucius noted that his stutter had returned and frowned. Guy always stuttered when he was angry or upset. Then again, it was a miracle that he hadn't been stuttering, or worse, non-stop since Matthew and his mother had been taken away.

"Because I can't afford not to be," Lucius replied with a calmly. He had to be certain that their plan would work, because the alternative was too grim to think about. Too damaging to them all. They needed these people so very much. They couldn't afford to lose them. Priscilla couldn't lose Raymond, and neither could he. Guy couldn't lose Matthew or his mother. Those two Pegasus knights couldn't lose their sister.

They had to save them. It was that simple.

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"Fiora?"

At the sound of her name, the teal haired woman looked up. Though it was dark, she could still make out the Lyn's form in front of her. The other girl had a grim look on her face.

"What will Florina do without us?" She asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. Florina still had Farina, but was that enough? She and Fiora had always been so involved in protecting the orchid haired girl.

"…She still has Farina…" Fiora replied shakily. But her voice told Lyn more then her answer did. Her voice clearly yelled 'I don't know, I don't know' over and over again. It was true; she didn't know.

"I miss her so," Lyn confessed, sitting down next to the other. "I mean, I wouldn't wish this fate on her for the world, but I miss her sweet face smiling at me, giving me hope…" She sighed remorsefully.

"I know…" Fiora said, placing her hand over Lyn's in a comforting gesture. "I know, I know." She missed both of her sisters. She wanted them here, and at the same time, she did not. She wanted them here so she could have their company. She did not want them here because that would mean they would be facing the same terrible fate as she was.

"Oh, Florina, what will I ever do without you?" Lyn sighed again, propping her chin up on one hand.

"I'm not really sure who misses her more," Fiora wondered aloud. "You or me?" The answer should be simple, really. She was Florina's older sister. She should be the one to miss her more, of course. But from Lyn's words, she got a different impression. Could Lyn's very soul ache for Florina's company more then her own did?

"Why, it's both of us, of course." Lyn leaned back against the moss covered stone walls. "But in different ways." She said after a second.

Fiora nodded absentmindedly. That made sense. It made sense in a way that made no sense at all, but it made sense. Fiora briefly wondered if she was being driven crazy in within these cold stone walls with no way out. Not unless someone had the sheer strength to be able to bend iron bars, of course. Fiora sincerely doubted there was anyone like that among their sorry crowd.

"If only there was a way out," Lyn said sorrowfully as she gazed at the iron bars. Fiora knew she was entertaining the very same thoughts she had had about some insanely strong person bending the bars and saving them all.

"But there isn't." Fiora said softly. "There is no way out. We are all doomed."

Lyn shook her head, her dark hair swishing back and forth, "Don't say that. We must find a way out. If only for Florina." She said with a strange determination. That same strange determination shone in her eyes like a bright light.

Fiora couldn't help but nod in agreement. Yes, they must escape this place alive, if only for Florina. But her voice disagreed with her, "But it's impossible." The words escaped her lips without her willing it to.

"Nothing," Lyn said forcefully, "Nothing is impossible."

Fiora hoped Lyn was right. Oh, how Fiora hoped that Lyn was right.

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Chapter One- End

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::Glances up:: I'm rather happy with that, I am. This little fic just wrote itself. Hopefully, the next couple of chapters for it will do that too. Tis not going to be a long fic. I'm only planning three to five chapters, at the most. Versus my other Fire Emblem AU, Something Wicked, where the number of chapters is still undetermined, but damn, it looks long. XD Heh, finally, I write a fic that hopefully will not give me too much work. (although I've probably just jinxed it by saying that ::sweatdrop:: )

(1) I know that Limstella is technically genderless. But for the sake of my poor little mind, I'm using feminine pronouns.

Reviews are appreciated.


	2. Act 2

Author's Notes: ...You're all going to hit me for taking so long with this, aren't you? If so, please be gentle. o.o Remember- no new chapters if you kill me. I honestly have no idea why I took so long... I guess I kind of forgot about this one? Eheheh... You're all going to really hit, aren't you? Luckily, I'm determined not to let the other chapters take this long!

Disclaimer: Hm, nope, still don't own Fire Emblem.

* * *

By Any Means Necessary

Act 2

By Amethyst Bubble

* * *

It seemed so long ago, so very long ago that the kingdom had been a happy one. A bit on the small side, yes, but it isn't size that matters. They were happy and that was what mattered.

The king and queen were kind and very much in love with each other. They wanted to share their happiness with the rest of the kingdom, all of it. They didn't want anyone to be sad at all.

The kingdom's small army, the Black Fang as it was nicknamed, was almost like a family in itself. The commander, a man named Brendan Reed, was a father figure, and not just to his own young sons who had only joined recently, but to everyone under his command.

For a while, things seemed happy, almost perfect.

But it just wasn't enough.

The king wanted more. He needed something more. But he had everything! A loving wife, children, riches, health, a kingdom... Even his subjects loved him dearly. What else could he want? He really did have everything, didn't he? Then why wasn't he happy? Shouldn't a man with everything be happy? Why wasn't he happy?

He found the only thing he was missing in the royal library one day. This was it, he realized as he poured over the great, leather-bound book by candle light, this was what he was lacking!

Power, he needed power. He'd had power before, yes, but not like this. No, not like this. This was the power of legends, of dreams, of stories... This was what every man longed for. And now, it was in his possession.

It consumed him. It ate him from the inside out. It devoured his very soul. Soon, it was all he could think of. Power, power, power. He needed more.

That's when he built "them". His morphs. They were alive, and yet, they were not. They were the perfect servants in every way. They were beautiful, strong, and obedient. They were more dogs then people. It wouldn't be appropriate to say he loved them, for at this point it could honestly be said that he was a man incapable of love. Rather, he felt a sort of ownership for them. They were his. They only listened to him.

They were better then humans. Because they were better, he started to compare everything to them. People just couldn't hold up against them. People might betray him, might double-cross, rebel and destroy him, but no, not his morphs. They were eternally obedient.

He sent them out to destroy those who would oppose them. One was sent to destroy a powerful family who was very knowledgeable in the magical arts. All but one small child was destroyed. With the way her mother begged and pleaded and clung to her, the king wondered if she might be particularly powerful, this skinny little child. They took her with her and one of the morphs was ordered to raise her as her own.

Later, that very morph seduced the army's commander upon the king's command. The wife of Brendan Reed was banished and the morph took her place. Slowly, she started to increase the army's numbers.

Finally, one night, the queen found out about her husband's doings. She was horrified. He stared at her as she ranted and raved, thought about how she couldn't compare to one of his morphs. She wasn't as beautiful as them, and certainly not as obedient. It was then that he ordered her seized. Her and all the little children. They were imprisoned in the dungeons.

He ordered barrels and barrels of ants brought before him. When he finally deemed that he had enough, he ordered his wife and children doused in honey and laid out in the hot son. Then he ordered that the ants be poured on top of them.

The queens' screams seemed to reverberate around the entire kingdom for days. The king's cruel laugh seemed to never disappear.

But that was only the beginning...

* * *

Nino watched from behind one of the magnificent marble pillars that decorated the king's palace as her brothers spoke to a blue-haired woman, none of them seeming happy about the conversation. She assumed it was a business matter, though she didn't know what kind of business it could be. She had gotten stuck there when she'd been looking for her brothers in this particular room. Hearing approaching footsteps, she'd hidden out of instinct. In hindsight, it probably hadn't been one of her best ideas.

"Ursula, surely even you must realize," Lloyd began, addressing the blue-haired woman.

She glared at him, "I do not know what you speak of." She said coldly.

"Of course she wouldn't. She's Sonia's loyal little servant, after all," Linus grumbled, ignoring the fact that it wasn't the best idea to have such a sharp tongue at a time like this.

Ursula stiffened, "Do not insult Lady Sonia. She is merely carrying out Lord Nergal's wishes. Who is she to refuse the king?" She snapped, fixing Linus with a piercing glare.

"The king is dying!" Linus exclaimed, "Why should we carry out his insane requests? If we let them go, he'd never know! He certainly won't be there to see their execution!"

Nino frowned. What was that about an execution? She hadn't heard anything about ones. Then again, she was only a child, and rarely told of such things. She wondered if it was a dangerous criminal being executed? Or maybe a thief who had stolen a great treasure? But, hadn't Linus said 'them', implying that there was more then one? Could it be a band of bandits, perhaps? Could it have been bandits she'd seen while she had been hiding in the basement? While Nino distracted herself with possibilities, the conversation between the Reed brothers and Ursula continued.

"Linus, don't be a fool," Lloyd's voice interrupted as he hissed at his brother.

"Your brother's right, Mad Dog Linus," A cloaked figure stepped into the room. He removed his hood to reveal that he had the same dark hair and golden eyes as Sonia and Limstella. Ephidel chuckled as he gazed at Ursula and the Reed brothers. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the very pillar Nino stood behind.

The green-haired girl had to stuff her sleeve into her mouth to muffle her breathing. She hated Ephidel and how he always seemed to know everything. She couldn't be caught spying on her brothers; if she did she would get such a scolding from them and her father. With skills she had picked up from a former member of the kingdom's elusive and exclusive army, the Black Fang, she pressed herself flat up against the back of the pillar, trying to make herself as invisible as possible. When she had the opportunity, she would steal away into the shadows that accompanied the opposite wall and make her way into the grand hallway, so it looked like she'd never been there at all.

"Going against King Nergal's wishes," Ephidel turned his attention back to the three. "Why, we could lock you up with those poor people in the dungeons." He sneered, turning on his heel and sweeping out of the room, throwing one last glance at the pillar which Nino hid behind. When he got to the doorway, he threw Linus one last glance, "Watch your step, Linus the Mad Dog." He smirked before disappearing into the next room.

"Eph-...Master Ephidel's words are true, and his advice is good," Ursula said, quickly walking after Ephidel. "I would follow it if I were you." She added in a voice barely above a whisper as she left the room.

Linus glared after her and Lloyd said nothing, fiddling with one of the buckles on his coat.

After waiting for a few minutes, Nino quietly snuck over to the doorway, not the one Ursula and Ephidel had gone through, that door was still being watched, but the one on the other side of the room. Once she had disappeared through the doorway, she walked back through, making sure to cause some noise with her footsteps this time. She wanted to be heard.

Lloyd was the first to glance over, "Ah, Nino." He acknowledged, smiling at her.

"Hello, Lloyd!" She said cheerily, as if she had not overheard the conversation that had taken place mere moments ago.

Linus gave her a warm smile, "What're you doing here, lass?" He asked, bending down so that he was eye level with her. "Doesn't Sonia usually have you off running errands this time of day?" He ruffled her short green hair, making her scowl lightly at him.

Shaking her head, she replied, "No. Mother doesn't have anything for me to do today, so I came looking for you!" She exclaimed, smiling brightly.

"Really now?" Lloyd said, an amused smile on his face.

She nodded, "Uh-huh."

"Well, I suppose we have some free time to spend with you," Lloyd scratched his chin in a thoughtful way. "What do you say, Linus?"

The Brendan Reed's other son shrugged, "Might as well spend it with Nino." He grinned down at the small girl.

Nino's smile widened, "That's great! Can we go out into the courtyard?" She asked, wanting to get out of the dreary castle. Not only would they have more privacy out there then inside the castle, but the sunlight would be a nice change from the usually dark building, lit only by the occasional flickering torch.

Lloyd gave her an amused glance, "I don't see why not." He said, taking her hand and leading her out of the castle, Linus following behind them.

When they reached the courtyard, Nino let go of Lloyd's hand, running ahead. Taking a seat on the low wall in a particularly sunny spot in the castle's gardens, Nino stretched like a cat, smiling as the sunlight warmed her face. Turning her attention back to her brothers, who had taken a seat on either side of her, she decided that it was now or never. She had to find out about those people in the dungeons. If her mother wouldn't tell her, surely her brothers would.

"Say, Lloyd, Linus..." She began, swiveling her head to look at each of them, making sure to make her expression as innocent and curious as she possibly could. "Can I ask you something?"

Linus raised an eyebrow, "What?" He asked gruffly, though there was something akin to amusement in his eyes.

After a split second of silent contemplation, Nino decided to leave out the fact that this had happened while she was exploring the dungeons. After all, that made her look bad and she wanted to get answers from her brothers, not a scolding. "Well, a while back, maybe a week ago or so... I was playing around the castle and I heard footsteps. Not wanting to get in the way of whoever it was, I moved to the side. Well, as they came closer, I discovered that it was some soldiers...and a whole lot of townspeople, all chained up. They were going towards the dungeon. What happened? Why so many people? Was there a rebellion?" She asked. This version might not have been the complete truth, but it wasn't that far away from it.

Lloyd raised an eyebrow, glancing over the top of Nino's head at Linus, who scowled back at him, nodding. They couldn't tell Nino what was actually going on. She was too kind hearted for her own good. She would only try to interfere with the king's plan in order to save innocents and in doing that, she would be dooming herself. No, they would have to protect her by lying to her. It was better that way.

It was Lloyd who spoke, "Those people were...indeed in a rebellion. They had gone mad and were injuring innocent people. They had to be taken in so that they would not cause anymore harm." He said, avoiding Nino's eyes.

"All of them?" She pressed, "But some of them couldn't be any older then me!"

Linus accepted that it was his turn to answer now, "Those were the children of the people involved in the rebellion. They'll be released as soon as the kingdom can find a safe place for them." He said patiently.

"...Oh," Nino mumbled, wondering why this story didn't quite match up in her mind. Something just wasn't right. Still, if her brothers said that was what was going on then she supposed that it was.

Feeling uncomfortable with the lie, Linus got up, signaling for his brother to do the same, "Sorry, Nino, but we have... things to do. We'll see if we can find time for you later, okay?"

She nodded, still processing what they had told her in her mind. Why didn't it all add up? It had to be the truth, though. Her brothers wouldn't lie to her. They never had before.

As the Reed brothers disappeared around a bend, Nino hopped down from the wall, feeling the need to move. She walked into a shadier corner of the garden, still wondering if the version her brother's told her was the actual version. She was beginning to doubt that it was. Instinct told her that something was up. If it really was a rebellion, what had it been about? Maybe her brothers considered her too young to know the truth. She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Well, that certainly wasn't any fair!

"Why won't anyone tell me what's really going on?" She complained loudly to herself, pouting. It was unfair that everyone except her knew what was going on. Why were they keeping it from her?

Suddenly, she remembered the conversation Lloyd and Linus had been having with Ursula back in the hall. What had they said about an execution? As she racked her brain for answers when out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark shape drop down from one of the trees to her left. With a thief's speed, she spun around, pulling an Elfire tome out of the bag at her hip. Scanning the area before her, she saw nothing. She relaxed slightly, closing the tome but not putting it back in her bag. It must have been some sort of animal...

A hand reached out and grabbed her arm from behind.

Gasping, she tried to scream, but another hand clamped over her mouth.

"... You... wish to know about the prisoners, do you not?" A male voice asked from behind her. Despite the fear gripping her, she nodded slightly. The person behind her removed his hand from her mouth, loosening his grip on her arm slightly. "Come with me... and be quiet," He instructed, heading deeper into the forest.

She nodded again, finally able to see who it was.

Jaffar, the nicknamed 'Angel of Death'.

* * *

"The guardian angel looking over the sleeping traveler, eh? Might as well be a painting."

"Matthew," Legault greeted, looking up from his position next to a sleeping Heath.

Nearly a week had passed since the first day of their imprisonment and the king was still alive, because, well, they were alive. Everyone was on edge, wondering if this day would be their last, and if not, how much longer did they have?

"How are you holding up?" Matthew asked, flopping down next to Legault, his amber eyes fixed on the iron bars ahead of him.

"Well enough," Legault replied nonchalantly. "I lived here, remember?"

Matthew snorted, "But you didn't live in the dungeons, now did you?"

Legault's lips turned upwards into a smirk, "With the way things were going, I might've ended up down here anyway if I'd stuck around." He shook his head, his smirk turning into a wistful smile, "I have to admit, it's rather nice to be back here, even if I'm on death row."

"You have got to be kidding me," Matthew deadpanned, looking at Legault through narrowed eyes.

Legault shrugged, raising a hand to stroke Heath's green and white hair. "Hmm, maybe," He replied, amusement apparent in his tone.

"And him," Matthew gestured to Heath. "You two seemed to have gotten awful close."

Legault shrugged, "I find him interesting. He doesn't seem to hate me. And he's paranoid as anything, so he'd probably never sleep if I didn't coax him into it."

"Probably doesn't hurt that he's a looker, eh?" Matthew's eyes shone slightly.

"Why Matthew," Legault said, something glinting in his own eyes. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Sure," Matthew leaned back against the wall. "You just keep up that act. Anyway... Your personal well being isn't what I came to inquire about, nor am I particularly interested in..." He trailed off, gesturing at the sleeping body next to Legault with a look of concentration on his face.

"Heath," Legault provided the information.

"Nor am I interested in Heath's," Matthew repeated.

Legault nodded, "Then I know perfectly well why you are here, Matthew. And the answer is no."

"No?" Matthew looked confused.

"No." Legault repeated solemnly with a shake of his head.

Matthew seemed unconvinced, "The Hurricane without a set of lockpicks? What's wrong with this picture?"

"Honestly, Matthew, they know me and they know my abilities. What are the odds that I'd be allowed in here with lockpicks on me?"

"Ah, true enough, true enough," Matthew answered. "So... we're officially doomed now, aren't we?" He asked lightly, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. A drop of water fell onto his forehead and he wrinkled his nose in distaste.

Legault nodded, "Yes, it does seem so."

"Wonderful."

Legault seemed to freeze for a moment. "I wonder..." he began, but said no more.

"Wonder what?" Matthew asked, voice laced with suspicion. Legault rose to his feet smoothly and Matthew looked up with curiosity, "What are you doing now?" He raised one eyebrow, raising himself up slowly.

Legault looked at him sharply and raised a finger to his lips, signaling him to be quiet, but it was too late for that. Heath sleepily sat up, blinking as he removed Legault's cloak from around his shoulders and offered it back to its rightful owner. "What are you doing?" He asked as Legault took the cloak back.

"Just to investigate the locks."

Heath furrowed his brow, sitting up a bit more, "What?"

* * *

In hindsight, Lucius wondered if he should have opened the door at all.

Ceasing her very one-sided conversation with Guy, violet eyes drifted over to look at Lucius, "So..." Serra began, twisting one pink pigtail around her finger. "What are we going to do about it?"

"It?" He echoed, blinking in a confused manner. He wondered why Serra had such a dumbfounding effect on people.

Scowling, she slammed a fist into the table, making him wince. "You know perfectly well what I mean! The captives! The king's decree!" She shouted, crossing her arms over her chest, "We have to do something about it! Isn't that right, Erk?" She asked the purple-haired boy standing sulkily in the corner.

Serra's unwilling escort sighed, raking his hand through his hair, "I'm sorry about this, Lucius." He apologized to the blond, shaking his head in exasperation.

"It's... all right," The blond tried to smile at the younger male. It was rather hard when Serra's glare was fixed on the back of his head, sending shudders up his back, but he managed.

"Erk!" Serra protested, glaring at him. He was her escort! How dare he side against her? The nerve of it all!

"Serra," Lucius addressed the young girl. "I assure you, I have no intention of letting those innocent people die." He said gently, trying to calm the temperamental pink-haired girl down. After all, an angry Serra wouldn't be good for any of them, or the house, which he would really prefer to keep intact.

She pouted, swinging her legs back and forth restlessly, "Then you'll let me help?" She asked, raising one eyebrow.

Lucius hesitated, "Well..." He would have liked to let her help, but she was only a cleric. While they might need healers, it would be too risky to take her if she couldn't defend herself. "Serra, I would honestly like to have your help, but I'm afraid it will be too dangerous for you." He said quietly, hoping she wouldn't yell, scream or shriek.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Her lips formed a rather devious smirk, waving her index finger, "That's where you're wrong, my dear Lucius! I've become quite skilled in magic, haven't I, Erk?" She glanced over at the mage. Her smile was charming, but the look in her eyes said 'agree with me or die'.

"...I suppose, just don't blow any of us up..." Erk said flatly. He really didn't want to be here. If Lady Louise hadn't been taken by the soldiers, Erk would have never agreed to let Serra drag him around the city. Well, not willingly, at least. He should be with Lord Pent, studying magic. After all, he'd have to become more skilled if Lady Louise was to live.

"Erk! That's so mean!" She exclaimed, pressing a hand to her chest and sighing deeply, "You have no respect for delicate ladies such as myself."

Guy looked up at Lucius, "You know, if she _can _blow stuff up, it might be good to take her with us." The more force they had, the better. He just hoped that she had good aim. Otherwise... He shuddered to think of it.

"Of course you should take me with you!" Serra nodded matter-of-factly, "As a servant of blessed Saint Elimine, I can't let this act of evil go unpunished! ...Well, that and I want to save my fool of a cousin," She narrowed her eyes. "Oooh, Matthew, when I get my hands on you... I don't care what you been through, I'm still going to beat you to a bloody pulp." She pounded her fist into her palm, looking so murderous that the three men in the room shrank back slightly.

Guy gulped, "...You do that." He muttered, sliding his chair back a bit.

Lucius nodded slowly in defeat, "Well... I guess if you can defend yourself, Serra, it'll be fine. We'll be glad to have your help. Erk, will you be helping us as well?" He looked over at the purple haired boy.

Erk nodded, "Yes. Lord Pent and Canas will also be fighting too, I think."

"Oh, right...Lady Louise was taken captive, was she not?" Lucius asked, fiddling with a lock of blond hair. Erk nodded in reply, crossing his arms over his chest and glancing at the floor. It wasn't fair. What had Lady Louise ever done?

"...Where is Priscilla?" Erk asked, changing the subject.

Serra nodded, "Yes, where is she? It was Raymond that was captured and not her, wasn't it?" She blinked, rising from her seat at the table.

"Oh," Lucius faltered. "She's... practicing her magic in the other room." He gestured to the doorway leading out of the kitchen. "I'm not sure if I would disturb her studies, though. She's been in a delicate state ever since her brother was taken away." He explained, concern flashing in bright blue eyes.

Erk nodded in an understanding fashion, "I see..." He commented, wondering how the melancholy girl was doing.

Serra frowned, "Moping won't do her any good!" She said, adjusting the purple scarf that hung around her neck. "I'm going to go snap her out of it!" She stomped off.

"Oh, well... all right then..." Lucius mumbled as the pink haired girl left the room. "... I hope she won't give Lady Priscilla too hard of a time..."

* * *

"Master Nergal?" Limstella pushed open the door to the king's chambers. "Ephidel has returned," She announced, leading the other morph into the room before kneeling by Nergal's bedside.

"Ah, Ephidel..." Nergal addressed the golden eyed man, his breathing shaky and shallow.

"Master, we have missed no one. No family has slipped through our fingers," Ephidel bowed low, fixing his eyes on the marble floors in respect.

Nergal let out a bitter laugh, "Good, good." He said, before his laughter once again turned into harsh coughing. A trickle of blood ran down his chin and something close to alarm flashed in Limstella's golden eyes. But no, that couldn't be right. Limstella was a morph, not a human. She had no feelings, no emotions.

"Master, drink," She said softly, raising the glass on the counter to his lips.

He shook his head, pushing the glass away. Raising himself slightly, so he leaned against the pillow, he motioned for Ephidel. "Go and find Sonia," He whispered hoarsely.

"Master-" Ephidel began, but Nergal cut him off.

"Go!" He barked, then began coughing. Limstella nervously hovered above her master, wondering why he would not accept the water from her. Didn't the master want to stop coughing?

Ephidel hesitated merely a moment before hurrying out of the room, his dark cloak rustling behind him. As the door swung shut with a bang, signaling that Ephidel had left the room, Nergal motioned for Limstella to come closer. She obeyed, kneeling by his bedside.

He brushed some of her curly dark hair away from her face, "Limstella, I fear my final hour fast approaches."

"Master," She began softly before she was interrupted by a finger pressed to her lips.

"Hush," He said. "We won't have much time before Ephidel and Sonia return. Limstella, I am entrusting you with a mission. You alone, and not Ephidel nor Sonia. You must not tell either of them, do you understand?" He questioned, locking his vision with hers.

She nodded. If her master had a dying wish, she would carry it out without fail. After all, it was her duty as Nergal's most faithful servant. "Of course, master," She whispered solemnly.

"They think I do not know, but I know all..." He laughed harshly, closing his eyes. "There is to be a rebellion at the execution. Not one, but two. One will take place from the inside, the other from the outside...I have foreseen it... Limstella, I want you to have the soldiers take care of the one to take place inside of the castle. That one will be stopped easily enough. The one to take place from the outside is not so well organized, but they have strong fighters... I want you to make sure that they do not succeed, my perfection," He told her, clasping her hands in his own.

"Of course, master," She replied in her usual emotionless tone.

"I..." He stopped, taking a shallow breath before continuing, "I shall give you incredible power. The power of likes never seen before in this kingdom, perhaps never seen in this world either. However..." He stopped, taking another shaky breath before continuing. "While it will give you incredible strength, this magic is too much for you to handle. It will corrupt your body and by tomorrow morn, you shall be no more. Do you understand?"

"I do, master," She replied. "I will be honored to accept this magic."

He laughed bitterly, a trail of crimson blood trickling down his chin, "After all, isn't this what you've always wished for? The ultimate honor? The chance to die to defend my wishes, Limstella?" He choked on his own words, coughing, "The chance to die for your beloved master?"

"Of course, master," Limstella replied again. It was an automatic answer.

"In the drawer," Nergal lifted one hand and pointed to his bedside table, his breathing becoming more and more labored by the second.

Limstella pulled the selected drawer open, finding two tomes inside. She carefully withdrew them, long fingers skimming over their glossy surfaces with a feather light touch, "I thank you, master." She placed her hand over his.

Nergal closed his hand around that of his favorite morph, and for a moment, a black aura seemed to trickle out of him and into her. Then, he withdrew his hand and placed it upon his chest. "Remember my orders, Limstella," He whispered ever so quietly. "Do not let my final wishes go unfulfilled, my perfection."

"Of course, master. Farewell." She replied without a trace of remorse in her voice. She wondered, had she been human, would she be sad? She knew he was dead as she gazed upon his pale face, his clasped hands, his closed eyes and the malice filled smirk still upon his lips and yet... She could not hope to feel any sort of sadness. She chastised herself lightly; of course she could not feel sadness. She wasn't like Sonia with her futile attempts to convince herself that she was human. Limstella was not human. It was better that way. Humans were weak.

The door opened quietly and in stepped Ephidel and Sonia. Her thoughts disturbed, Limstella swept to her feet in one graceful motion, the tomes clutched tightly to her chest.

"Lord Nergal..." Sonia gasped, her golden eyes widening, the usually seductive smile fading from her painted lips. "Is he...?"

Ephidel hung his head, closing his eyes. Limstella scowled at his attempt to look sad. He wasn't a human either. Why should he act like one with his pitiful attempts at looking sorrowful?

"There is no time for that," Limstella said. "Quick now, alert the kingdom. Get the coffin ready for the royal funeral and ring the bells. Gather up the prisoners for the public execution to take place in one hour." She ordered, "And post guards around the castle and town square. Do not question me, just do it."

Sonia's look of shock quickly turned to one of rage, "You soulless puppet! Why, you are no more then the equivalent of a rag doll! How dare you order me around like that?" She demanded, curling her hands into fists.

The blank look never left Limstella's eyes, the calm look never faded from her face, "Disobeying my orders is the same as disobeying Lord Nergal's. You will not disrespect your lord, Sonia. Now go and do as I say."

The dark haired woman all but gnashed her teeth in anger, turning on her heel and sweeping out of the room. Ephidel followed her closely, throwing one last look at his lord and his fellow morph by his bedside.

When they had both left, Limstella laid a cold, pale hand on her master's face, "Lord Nergal, I shall not fail you."

* * *

"This... can't be the truth, can it?" Nino asked, wide-eyed. Jaffar nodded in confirmation and Nino's blue eyes widened even more. She bit her lip, glancing to the side before she took off, running out of the shadowy trees at the far end of the courtyard and making her way back towards the castle.

Realizing what she intended to do, Jaffar ran after her. Even though he was an assassin, he had a hard time catching up to her. Once she made it into the castle, she made quick, sharp turns and her pace never slackened. Finally, as she neared the stairs leading down to the dungeons, his hand shot out and closed around her wrist, jerking her to a halt.

Nino turned around, "Why did you stop me?" She asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

"You... can't try to free them," He said. "I know you're going to try... But... then you'll be... killed with them," He said, glancing at the stairway.

"I don't care!" She cried, stamping her foot so hard Jaffar thought that the heel of her boot might have made a dent on the marble floors. "I don't care what happens to me! I have to help those people, Jaffar! I have to!" She stared up at him with a fierce determination.

His grip loosened slightly on her wrist, "You... are strange."

"Why? Because I want to help people? They didn't do anything at all! Why should they have to die? I can't let them suffer this terrible fate!" She yanked her arm out of his grip, turned and placed a hand on the door to the dungeons, "The only question is what will you do, Jaffar?" She almost laughed at herself for asking. He was the Angel of Death. He took lives, not saved them. Then again, maybe, just maybe he would help her save them. He had told her what was really going on, after all.

Jaffar said nothing in reply. What would he do? It was King Nergal's orders that these people die on the same day as he, but... He shook his head slightly. No, he must obey King Nergal, the same King Nergal who had taken him in when he was young and... turned him into the mindless killing machine he was today. He could either side with King Nergal, or this young girl. She wanted to help people, not hurt them. Help people...

Nino remained silent, tightening her grip on the handle of the doorway as she fished in her pack for a copy of the key to the dungeon. It had been snagged as a present for her ages ago. At the time, she had not approved of the methods by which it had been obtained, but... The key had never failed her. Not once. She silently thanked the one who had given it to her, closing her eyes in fond remembrance.

Jaffar clenched his hands as he spoke, "I... will help you." He said quietly.

She bit back a small smile of relief, inserting the key into the lock and turning it. With a creak, the door swung open and Nino stepped inside, Jaffar following on her heels.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs and the second door, meant to keep out anyone who had managed to break down the first, she put the first key back in the pack at her waist and fumbled around for the second one she had been given. The giver had known that she liked to play down there, and had presented them to her as a parting gift. Shaking her head and telling herself to concentrate, she quickly unlocked the door. She hastily put the key back in the pack and entered, almost closing the door on Jaffar.

"I'm sorry!" She apologized quickly as he entered after her and shut the door himself. He shook his head and said nothing, simply wondering how a girl so young had in her possession the keys to the kingdom's dungeons.

He followed her as she ran, navigating the tunnels with an uncanny skill. She must know this place like the back of her hand, he thought as she turned a corner so sharply that he almost had to double back to follow.

Finally, Nino began to slow down. Jaffar realized why immediately. All the cells before had been filled by cobwebs, spiders, and rats. They had now reached the cells that were filled by people. The pained look on their faces did not stir any emotion in him at all, but it obviously affected the girl he was with. Nino looked just as grim as they did, her hands balled tightly into fists.

"Horrible," He heard her whisper under her breath as she turned her head away. She trudged on at a slower pace, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground. How could she look at them, now that she knew what was truly going on? That her own mother had helped lock these innocent people away, and that they would be sent to their deaths soon.

Then, moments later, she stopped short. Jaffar looked down at her with confusion. Why had she stopped? People were coming to the bars now, their desperate faces staring out, wondering who the young girl and the hooded man were. Then, Jaffar heard it. Voices, not too far off. But why had Nino stopped because of that? People would talk, after all. Even down here, in this dark, dank dungeon, people would engage in conversation as they awaited their fate.

After a moment, Nino's hands flew to her mouth and she took a step forward, as if trying to hear better. Jaffar followed her closely as the prisoners behind the bars looked on curiously with hopeful looks on their faces.

"What is it?" He asked in a low murmur, leaning down until he was eye-level with her.

"I... think I recognize one of those voices up ahead," She whispered back, a confused look in her eyes. "But, I thought he was..." She shook her head, "I can't hear what they're saying. Can you?"

Jaffar shook his head. Both speakers were keeping their voices so low that if they had been in a normal room, they probably would not have been heard from this distance. However, in the stone walls of the dungeon voices tended to echo off the stone walls.

"I'm going to go find out who they are," Nino said as she began walking forward. Jaffar could tell it was taking all her willpower not to break into a frantic run. Whoever she thought was speaking, she was excited about seeing them again.

Finally, they arrived at the cell in which the speakers were held captive in. Two men were kneeling in front of the bars, a third hovering nervously behind them with a confused look on his face, having a hushed conversation with each other. From this distance, Jaffar could hear most of it; they seemed to be discussing the lock.

"What do you mean, you're **THE Hurricane**?"

Nino's head snapped up at the word "hurricane".

"He means he's the Hurricane, of course. You've heard of the Hurricane, haven't you?"

"Well, of course I have, who hasn't, but wasn't he supposed to be-"

"If both of you would please keep your mouths shut for a few seconds, I might be able to see if they've changed the locks since I've last seen them."

As Nino caught site of the long lavender hair one of them possessed, she let out a little gasp, "Is that you," She asked as she approached the bars, "Uncle Legault?"

* * *

Act 2- End

* * *

Again, so sorry for the wait. I'll try and make it up to you all, I swear. Moving on, thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I honestly wasn't expecting this many reviews! You're all wonderful. I love you all. Seriously, I do. Very, very much.

I should be able to churn the next chapter out a bit faster then this one, if only because this one shouldn't have taken as long as it did all ready, and I've got the next one planned out pretty thoroughly.

Reviews are much appreciated. Throwing rotten vegetables is discouraged, but if it's absolutely necessary...


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